TOWIE star Ferne was one of the first to show her love publicly for her friend, sharing a cosy Instagram snap of the two alongside a sweet message.

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Kind words: Ferne McCann has sent her love and support to I'm A Celebrity campmate, and one-time love interest, George Shelley after the star addressed his sexuality in a video posted on Wednesday

She wrote: 'Feeling very proud of my lil jungle fwend today 'happiness is letting go of what you think life is supposed to look like & celebrating it for everything that it is' I love you bubs @georgeshelley.'

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The pair were thought to be dating following their stint on the last series of I'm A Celebrity, when they admitted they had shared a kiss and Ferne said she 'loved him.'

But sadly, romance was not meant to be and they later explained that they were happy being friends.

Close: The pair were thought to be dating following their stint on the last series of I'm A Celebrity, when they admitted they had shared a kiss and Ferne said she 'loved him'

Ferne said of their relationship in December: 'We've seen each other loads since we've been back. We have kissed but there were no tongues... It was kind of like a Christmas peck.

'It's funny, you spend so much time with people in there that when I got back I had serious separation anxiety from him. I just wanted to see him and Vicky [Pattison].'

But when asked whether she sees him as more of a brother figure than a boyfriend, the TOWIE star responded:

'I'm going to be honest, I look at him as my friend. I love him a lot and there was an attraction there... but I think he'd probably say the same. I love him as a friend.'

'I don't feel I should hide anything': The Union J singer revealed he is bisexual in impassioned video message which he posted to his social media accounts

George has publicly addressed his sexuality by posting a video of himself on YouTube, in which he speaks about having girlfriends and boyfriends in the past.

In the emotional clip, George, 22, said: 'I've been on a personal journey and I want you to be part of that journey from now on.

Adding: 'I want to start 2016 with a clean slate. I went into the jungle and it gave me a lot of time to reflect on what's important to me and what is important to me is I can be myself.

'I don't feel that I should hide anything, so... I've been reading a lot of speculation online about whether I'm straight or gay or bi and it's all these labels.

'It's a little bit old fashioned and that's why I'm not going to label it myself.

Honest: The former I'm A Celebrity star speaks about having girlfriends and boyfriends in the past

'It's not something that I feel like I can label. I've had girlfriends that I've loved and that have been amazing periods of my life and I've also had boyfriends.

'I just want you to know that whether I decide to be with a girl next or be with a guy next it is because I love them, and it shouldn't be a big deal.'

George, who has been linked to former X Factor singer Ella Henderson in the past, admitted he wanted to go public with the revelation because he no longer wants to be 'worried' about what someone might say if he dates a guy.

He added: 'I don't want to make a big thing out of it when it happens and I don't want to be scared anymore.

Emotional clip: George told his fans in the candid video: 'I've been on a personal journey and I want you to be part of that journey from now on

Brave: He ended the short clip with the words, 'I've not changed, I'm still me, I'm still the same person I've always been, but like I said I'm just becoming a little less scared of being myself'

'I don't want to feel that I can't be myself because I'm worried about what somebody might be saying about me.

'I've not changed, I'm still me, I'm still the same person I've always been, but like I said I'm just becoming a little less scared of being myself. And that makes me quite happy.'

George's video, entitled 'Hi! I've got something to talk to you about', sparked memories of a similar YouTube clip posted by Olympic diver Tom Daley in 2013, in which he came out as bisexual.

Another of George's fellow I'm A Celebrity campmates Jorgie Porter also paid tribute to his bravery on her Instagram.

She wrote: 'This beautiful man @georgeshelley gave me the reason not to quit the jungle !! He was my strength in there and I'm so proud how strong u are from wen we sat around that camp fire such a beautiful heart love u forever x x.'

Happy for him: Meanwhile, pal Vicky Pattison also tweeted her support for the lovely lad

Proud: Vicky then took to social media again to share a sweet snap of her kissing George at the National Television Awards, writing: 'Love is love'

The day job: The handsome chap makes up one quarter of pop band Union J (second from left)